..fluttering silk..

jumping cat

2009-04-19T19:54:00.002-04:00

numbness....

2008-05-06T19:08:00.014-04:00

i have not talked much about the hospitals
- the children's & provincial -
how can i?
how can i describe it?
i can't.

maybe pictures will help convey some of my feelings..?....

19 y.o. female - moto accident
open supracondylar fracture
traction 6-12weeks

25 y.o. male - moto accident
open comminuted femur fracture
closed tibial fracture
hospital stay 4 weeks

19 y.o. male - moto accident
open tibial fracture
hospital stay 1 month

16 y.o. male - congenital disease
spina bifida
stay uncertain, life long nursing care
parents killed by robbers
now he depends on the kindness of strangers

update on the Japanese Paris Hilton...

2008-05-06T19:01:00.001-04:00

she is 叶恭子
in english Kyoko Kano

...you go girl with that younger man!

No New News...

2008-05-06T18:55:00.007-04:00

No new news on Mol....
.... i miss the children of the friendly house. when i think of Mol.. ... i remember a smart, shy, mysterious girl. my last memory of her is Loak Tomb Tomb (night front desk clerk at Prince D'angkor --- Loak Tomb Tomb in english = Mr Big Big) reading the Khmer letter Mol wrote to my mother in Khmer. Calling her mommy, thanking her for her kindness and patience and in the simplest but sweetest way saying she will miss her.

more photos...

Bad News....

2008-04-28T10:38:00.004-04:00

i received this email from friendly house....

Mol was involved in an accident on New Year's Day in her village, almost two weeks ago. I have not written until now, as information has been sketchy, contradictory, and unreliable. At this time, it appears she is recovering. The nature of her condition and prognosis are still unknown from direct contact.

An American friend who has lived here for 4 years told me that there will be five fantastic stories before you learn the true facts. Indeed. She has been reported to have suffered severe head injuries, blinded, massive internal injuries, broken back, and a 20% chance to live. Then, there is a report that she went to temple where she met a healer and is better now!

The hardest part for me is the lack of concern or responsiveness to seeing her, attending to her or her family - what? Someone came to tell Veasna she had been taken to a hospital here, but did not say which one (nor was he asked!). I asked for a search, but nothing. We finally went to a clinic a week later, and reportedly she had been brought there, but taken to a hospital. Then, she was sent to hospital in PP. And so on.

The accident involved a truckload of revelers going to Kulen Mountain, and on the way back, the driver, probably drunk, took a curve too fast and rolled the truck. First report was that 3 boys (her brothers?) had died; later that one had, maybe her neighbor.

hopefully,this is one of those "fantastic stories"
please meditate, chant, pray or do whatever you do for her!
update as it comes available

night call

2008-04-25T09:16:00.005-04:00

the night call

ring ring, awakened
crying, stressed, help - baby

dark, moto speeds, warm smiles

as word gets around there are western doctors and pas in town, you get busier and busier!

in a nutshell here is a depiction of the cambodian healthcare system. if you have no money you go to the provincal hospital, if you have some money you go to a private clinic and the rich go to Vietnam or Thailand. the provincial hospital is poorly funded with few western volunteers, pain meds, and antibioitics. the private clinics will drain your pocketbook. for the rich, ex-pats, and tourists soon there will be a "nice" hospital in PP(funded by the thais) but the cambodians once again will be left out. there is so much to write and tell but that is for another time.

asleep in my bed, dreaming, the phone rings. ..
"help" cries the voice. it's kim! "my sister's baby can't breath, she is choking, there is a cut in her mouth! i went to the children's hospital they are not interested in helping the cambodian people (which is NOT true). i will be there in 5 on my moto."

my eyes barely open, i stumble and manage to pull on pants and a shirt. 1:45. once dressed, i ask the doc and the "nurse" if they want to come, doc, "no this one you take care of" but the "nurse" is game.

he's crying.... i try to understand the broken english.
"bbbbaby hurt. choking... help.... dinner, cut mouth on a pencil.. hospital didn't look at her. hhhhelp."

the three of us climb on the chinese moto bike that is barely big enough for one let alone three. the "nurse" is on plavix. the rode is potholed. he speeds. it starts raining. stray dogs bark and chase the moto. the road is getting slippery. it changes from dirt to large bricks. the nurse and i have to get off. the road is too bumpy! can't control the bike with three on board.

the moto drives off... he left us.... the dogs are barking louder... my mind goes straight to the dog bites we see at the hospital. it is dark, we are alone. it is pitch black, no electricity in this neighborhood. growling and barking become more threatening! the nurse says, "another fine mess you got me into."

after what seems to be a lifetime, we hear footsteps and out of the depths of darkness he returns with an umbrella. we arrive safely.

a few minutes later we arrive at a typical wooden cambodian dwelling, an open shed, with one large room divided by a torn curtain to give the young family privacy. no door, unshuttered window, dirt floor, and beds with palm mats lining the walls.

the grandmother greets us and thanks us for coming. it's obvious the family is stressed and worried. the child is fine. cute, chubby, smiling! small cut in the mouth. kim was frightened because she was not nursing. assured them it was only a minor abrasion and she would be better in the morning.
everyone is relieved.

hop back on the moto, this time we take a dirt road and the rain has stopped. we run the gauntlet of menacing dogs and somehow end up on a main road. as we pull into our driveway the moto slowly stops, no gas! its now 3.30. kim will deal with the gas and be back at work at 7

we return to the hotel and sleep the rest of the night.

update

2008-04-25T00:02:00.000-04:00

one vote for...

Ayumi Hamasaki

more Food...

2008-04-23T16:26:00.004-04:00

unfortunately, i was recovering from eating too many crickets the night before...
....and missed out on the LP market!on the list for next time:
bat, rat, and water buffalo tail & hooves!

Help!!

2008-04-23T15:45:00.002-04:00

Who is She!?!

Luang Prabang

2008-04-19T08:26:00.005-04:00

This recent NYT article on Luang Prabang describes exactly why i want to travel SE Asia and travel it now. Beautiful and peaceful are just two of thousands of words used to described this area. Besides Cuba, i have never traveled to an area that has affected my soul as much. Although, i went to LP in the low season without the hoards of people and loudspeakers, i could still feel the culture being sucked out of the laotians and replaced with the drive for american dollars. In fact, my friend Jack, is just one of "those monks" who left the monastery to become a guide, even though, his father's death bed wish was for him to become a monk. Jack now drives a souped up honda moto, has the flashiest mobile, and favors designer jeans.

Luang Prabang

April 13th

2008-04-12T16:40:00.004-04:00

Happy Khmer New Year!!!

k'nyom hao bai.

2008-04-12T11:13:00.011-04:00

after the questions about the volunteering ends;
the next question always seems to be about the food....
more specifically about the "weird" or "gross" food i may have tried.

so here it goes...

i arrived in japan with the attitude that protein is protein and western food is no better than eastern and held this opinion throughout the journey. my ground rules--- try just about anything --- except dog and cat. asia became my new playground for food tasting!

my first adventurous meal was in jp. here i discovered yakitori! basicaly it is grilled chicken (any part your heart may fancy), served with beer, usually in some sort of beer hall.... it is also a favorite past time of japanese men, especially after a long day at work. sounds good to me!!! so masa and i started with asahi super dry. next masa took the intiative and ordered the yakitori; chicken skin, chicken heart, chicken cartilage, and bits and pieces of the whole bird with raw egg on top. it was all excellent --- oishii!!! yakitori compliments the cold, crisp beer perfectly. the chicken cartilage had a nice crunch. unfortunately, the skin was a little greasy for my palate but maybe the cook got carried away with the fryer. on my return trip to japan i made sure to stop at a yakitori restaurant!

next on to cambodia...
now the real adventure starts. love snake, half-hatched duck eggs, bugs & spiders, and anything else that may provide protein and nutrients. to get the "cambodian" experience i decided to eat meals at a few local restaurants where tourist do not venture. lucky for me i had many local friends willing to show me the ropes.

one of the more memorable experiences was eating at the local bbq!
loak kean and friends were very excited to treat me to a "special" dinner featuring different cuts of beef --- i never did find out what animal --cow, water buffalo, yak-- i was eating. in siem reap restaurants that serve beef are found clustered together on the outskirts of town. usually found on dark, dusty roads that gradually widen to allow the seats from the popular restaurants to overflow on the streets. due to lack of good refrigeration, the pungent smell of these streets hits you a mile away -- no kidding--the scent is something else. once we sit down the beef arrives quickly, unfortunately before one is sensitized to the smell. it is served on separate plastic plates, pretty much raw, with a side of lemon (lime), chili sauce, fish paste (yuk), and veggies on ice (forget about sticking with bottled water). i dig in. all the locals anxiously awaiting how the "white girl" will react.... interesting, smoky, not too chewy but very gamy .... not like the steak you get at peter lugers. after i sample a few of the plates, kean states "oh i am surprised you are eating that, aren't you afraid of getting sick?!" thanks kean! and thank you very much, i did not get sick. that night i tried beef flank and tongue and who knows what other parts of the cow or whatever it was. i also got to try some fresh water snails cause "grandpa" does not eat meat!... not so good -- ought ch'ngun.

another favorite past time of mine, was late night rice porridge.. so GOOD! and just the cure for a long night with an early morning wake up. it is a soupy rice broth. you can order a pork, fish, or quail version. I was addicted to the fish and never needed a reason to change. aarat tried quail and said it was like eating bone soup! you could add hot sauce, lemon (actually it is lime but they call it lemon), and sugar. i know rice porridge isn't too exciting but don't miss it if you are in cambodia.

my most adventurous and surprisingly good taste treat was found on the way to battambang. loak thy was tired of driving and getting hungry. so we stopped at a roadside market for some goodies ... dried bananas with sugar, crawl laan, mango with chilis and fried sparrow. well, baby sparrow is not dog or cat so i after a quick pic, i popped it in my mouth... crunchy... something sharp -- was that the beak?.... actually quite good ... next time i get mommy sparrow!

other cambodian treats i tasted and loved were fish eggs (not like roe), fresh water eel, and half hatched egg. on my list for next time is snake and spider.

next on to laos.
on my first day, i met jack. a nice laotian fellow who invited me to experience the real laos. he picked me up at 7.30 and after a long 15 minute motor bike ride out of town we arrived at a restaurant comprised of one large thatched hut perched over a river. we walked across a bridge and entered the hut. so many stares, i swear time stopped. after the initial shock of seeing a blond arriving locals began toasting, the guide book says proper etiquette is to concur. we finally sit down and order fish --great! laos is land locked with poor refrigeration, not another bbq experience-- and fried crickets! OMG... the crickets were delicious!! they just were so light and popped open in your mouth. i couldn't spoon them up fast enough ... i looked like a glutton! they were really GOOD!!

thailand was tame compared to other countries. all in all, i was disappointed by the food. in the north the operative word was FRIED. in the south it was bland. i did get to taste silk worms in the north and yes they were fried... very greasy. sort of like a bad cheetoh without the cheese.

next, back to jp where they have perfected the art of cooking! in the week i was there, i tried whatever my japanese friends ordered and it all tasted awesome.

more food blogging to come... including ganja soup and eating at the cambodian market.

no introductions needed....

2008-04-06T22:31:00.002-04:00

there will be more kim to come.

first day in japan

2008-04-06T13:23:00.006-04:00

as i have already posted....
masa and i spent a cold february day exploring tokyo.

we spent the morning in akihabara aka tokyo's electric town. here you can find any kind of electronic goods, spy equipment, anime, manga, video games and of course the maid cafes. ...

it was the first time for both of us and it didn't disappoint!

unfortunately, the maids were in charge - and - did not allow photos.
but masa and i were not going to give up - and - did manage to sneak a few!

besides sipping coffee and enjoying the squeaky voiced maids, we also found time to shop.
masa and i found the a special pair of underwear for the hippest michigan family i know

-- unfortunately, masa and i didn't do too well the gift was received with mixed reviews--

.back.

2008-04-06T09:04:00.001-04:00

i am back with stories to tell and time to write!

for moki

2008-03-17T22:19:00.001-04:00

i found your long lost twin

with love

wedding crashers

2008-03-17T21:52:00.008-04:00

my third weekend in cambodia i had a crazy journey to battambang.

battambang is cambodia's 2nd largest city with some of the best preserved french architecture. it sits on the stung sangker river. located just over 200 km west of siem reap on what the japanese call dancing road or in other words 4 hours on a dirt road with ditches and potholes! it is untouched by tourism and is a center of learning with universities for pt and nursing.

dissappointed that i was missing my friend's wedding in siem reap, we crashed a wedding on the way to battambang. all you have to know about cambodian weddings is how to smile, cheer with jonny walker and dance.

we eventually made it to battambang...

here i met a vietnamese monk who wants to be a scottish doctor

sam nang or luck

we had a wonderful weekend exploring the city and temples.

it all ended with a flat on the way home!

trying to find time....

2008-03-14T22:45:00.004-04:00

s'laap bpree-a

i have finished at the hospital, traveled to lao and about to leave for thailand. there is so much to blog but not now. hopefully i will find time in thailand. i am so busy trying to plan the rest of my stay. as of now i travel on to chang mai then krabbi. then on to Myanmar if all goes well. Cambodia for Khmer New Year.

I really miss Cambodia - i have picked up the language and can't wait to go back and practice. the goal for next year is to be able to read and write. pretty ambitious since khmer has the longest alphabet of all the languages!

troy ortho - we received your postcard - totally awesome - 20 days - not too bad!
now stop reading this and get to work - jk or ni-yee-ay layng!

Mouse loves rice.

2008-03-04T06:26:00.007-05:00

cambodians love karaoke
i love karaoke

that equals a fun night out!

thursday nite a bunch of us decide to head out for soup and karaoke, little did I know the nite would end with an hour sleep and a bowl of rice porridge.

we start the night at a local soup restaurant.
i was at the head of a long table that faced a giant stage with a live band and professional singers. my heart started to beat fast – oh man – i have to go on that to sing but soon i found out that this was not the karaoke spot –phew!

our group - cambodian nurses, american resident and two swedes. they asked us what we wanted. the american and i said anything, the swedes said chicken. so the nurses order… first dish was chicken stomach and heart … it was actually quite good. next the soup comes… veggies…. Meat… shark fin..?... ganja..!?!.

pitchers of beer were quickly empty … the swedes leave ... i took the bill …. 87 bucks … super expensive for a local khmer joint.

we move on to karaoke… we arrive at what looks like a hotel and are escorted to a small room that says used.

There 50 english songs - - I barely recognize any of them. they are all slow love songs. i soon realize that is all they sing. the first song chosen was celine dion’s my heart will go on – it was a hit. the videos of the cambodian songs are lonely girls in thatched huts, longing for their men who are working hard in the fields.

the most popular khmer karaoke song is

Where is the hymen

finally my turn to sing. my cambodian friend asks me to sing the extremely popular song …

mouse loves rice!?! Only in cambodia!

since karaoke is a huge deal and they are all professional singers my fellow american and i choose to sing together. we picked guantanamera and sing in spanish - we sucked!!

tt was a long nite of singing and a huge bill!

it was 2 and time to move on to dancing. we head to zone one.
i am on a huge nyc like dance floor - i tower over the teens that flood the dance floor. we dance for an hour more and head outside for rice porridge – so yummy.

i wish i could include all the details of the night but since i do not understand all the culture mores i have to exclude some pertinent details that could be deemed offensive!

the past week...

2008-03-04T05:18:00.005-05:00

it has been awhile since i have blogged...
i am so busy volunteering, learning khmer, and having fun i barely have time to breathe.

at the hospital we continue to see rare cases.

in fact we just today saw a case of possible polio - 1 yo girl presents with left hip abduction and a valgus foot with muscle wasting x1 mo s/p high fever. she has been examined by the best khmer & american doctors, residents, and pa-c - and still unsure!

i am still volunteering at the provincial hospital. again, lots of trauma.

at this hospital i do a lot of rounding.
as i round many of the other patients and family members gather around, walk the halls and see the patients with me. each day, i am learning more and more khmer. my patient's faces light up when i ask them questions in khmer that only the day before would have been impossible for me.

i love my patients - although they are lying for weeks on a mat, have the bare minimum for survival and probably less than adequate pain control, they are always smiling and eager to talk.

on monday, one of them was sleeping under the covers and i questioned whether to wake him. i gently tapped his foot, his head popped out from under the covers and he emerged with a giant grin. he couldn't stop laughing and smiling. i am so happy that he is well - he is one of my sickest my patients.

i have a week left and i really do not want to leave - i am happy here!

friendly house...

2008-02-29T19:46:00.003-05:00

i am super busy with volunteering and enjoying the local culture.
i have much to blog about:
karaoke
mouse loves rice
late nite house call

but until then here is the website for friendly house:

http://web.mac.com/djbiviano/On_the_Path/FOCC_Photos.html

friendly house

2008-02-26T05:46:00.006-05:00

friendly house.... a safe house i teach english at....

through the cambodian pavarotti (whom i need to blog about) i found the friendly house. although, unclear, i believe this is a safe house for orphan children and teenagers. it is run by what the cambodians call an extremely old lady - all of 60 years but i will say she does look more like 80 - in a small thatched hut, she cooks and watches over the kids. the meals consist of rice, rice, and more rice. the boys sleep in the hut and use hammocks as beds while the girls are a little luckier, they live in a small cement building and sleep on palm mats, three and four to a mat.

friendly house was founded by an american named dave and a japanese lady helps support it. i thought this was all a con until last weekend when the japanese woman came with gifts of handbags, skin care products and various medicines -- mmmm make-up and bags in cambodia!?! --- i guess it is the thought that counts. then unexpectedly dave stopped by yesterday.

all in all a good place.

the children are eager to learn english, constantly smile and give me hugs. to make money most of the children perform traditional dance or as the cambodians call the aspara dance.

...nightclubbing..

2008-02-25T06:29:00.002-05:00

OT also know as operative treatment.

2008-02-25T06:12:00.003-05:00

as word gets around that there is a specialist in town we are soon called for consultation at the local hospital. here we are again surrounded by extremely competent doctors, nurses and staff but this provincial hospital does not have the same funding or amount of foreign volunteers. the ortho wing is in a gray cement building with large windows, rooms no doors, and of course no a/c. the beds are planks of wood with a palm mat covering them. the sheets and pillows look like they have never been washed. the patients lie quietly – they are the most stoic people i have ever met. with the rooms full the beds overflow into the halls.

we see patient after patient with injuries from moto accidents. one is a young man of 20 who has an open supracondylar femur fracture and segmental tibia fracture lying with just a splint on his lower leg and small bandage over the open wound – as of now the wound is not infected – i pray that it does not become infected. it is sad because in america he would be treated and walking in no time but here he is likely to succumb to infection, pulmonary embolism or sepsis. i visit him daily and every time i enter the room he gives me a wide grin and his eyes speak volumes. although, i can only say a few words to him, my presence comforts him.

next, is a 17 year old boy, another moto accident, the surgeons inserted screws into the femur but did not fix the hip which means he will not walk. on Friday we took him to the OT – put two screws in the hip – straightened and lengthened his hip – now he has a chance of walking. today, i took peanut butter to him – he quickly grabbed the spoon and indulged. i think tomorrow i will bring chocolate to accompany his PB therapy.

as for the OT – no ekg, no pulse ox, no fracture table, light sedation, scrubbing out of a bucket, many flies buzzing around room. even though the conditions were less than adequate, the staff is dedicated & well educated; they do have xray and a good drill!

there will be more cases. there is much need for us here. in fact, tomorrow we will be taking an anterior shoulder dislocation to the OT for exploration.

a side point about infection. it seems like they are unable fight infection here which i believe is due to lack of nutrition. they have no meat, poultry, or beans. the poorer people only eat rice. i have introduced the idea of eating peanut butter – high in fat and protein – perfect. seems like they are not prone to allergies.

lost in translation part II...

2008-02-25T01:40:00.004-05:00

taka & me

.notice how red i am.

last nite we had a goodbye party for some japanese residents -

my conversation....

taka: do you have a boyfriend?
me: no

taka: do you have rubbers?
me: excuse me!

taka: do you have rubbers?
me: this is getting personal.

taka: do you have rubbers?
me: OH! do you have lovers? (a little better)

then somehow we dropped the subject of lovers and chatted it up about age...

sr at night

2008-02-25T01:36:00.001-05:00

..new and old friends...

2008-02-20T09:19:00.005-05:00

kean, mrs kean & family
mr. T
grandfather
king kong
chicago
loak TaProhm
buntoeurn
and others

silk farm

2008-02-19T05:28:00.004-05:00

took a tuk tuk 16km on a dusty road to the silk farm - where they teach poor villagers the art of silk farming. they have 3 types of mulberry bushes .japanese, thai, and cambodian. the silk worms are fed the leaves. after forming their cocoons they are cooked in the hot cambodian sun for 3 days then boiled and spun to make silk. the villagers hand dye the silk - using innovative methods such as curry seeds or rusty nails with tree bark to make brilliant, hot colors.

sorya

2008-02-18T19:25:00.005-05:00

sorya = sun

she is one of the kindest souls i have ever met - a nurse at the hospital and also my khmer teacher. one the third day she invited me for lunch - she created the most beautiful and tasty spread - pineapple fish and spicy beef. she shared personal stories and pics - she grew up in battambang with a teacher for a mother. she pursued nursing and is motivated to provide a good life for her family. sorya and her husband have a beautiful family. her daughter is 2 and speaks english well - knows her ABCs!

sorya is always smiling and making me laugh!
more later.....

a day in the countryside

2008-02-18T19:14:00.003-05:00

hospital...

2008-02-18T18:36:00.005-05:00

i'm so busy with life that i'm neglecting my blog.

a week has gone by at the hospital and i've seen more than most people have in a life time. but it's not the cases that i am so impressed with rather the dedication and kindness of the staff, health workers, and patients. my friend, chenda, works as an anesthesia nurse full time then spends his entire weekend in phnom penh studying medicine. last saturday, all the surgical nurses and docs went out for an authentic khmer bbq - it was delicious and fun! cooking squid, chicken, beef, pork, and veggies at our tables surrounded by good company - can't get any better. the plan is to have them over to the hotel pool - post more on that later.

surgeries are going well - basically we are taking gross deformities and straightening them. only problem is the saws and instruments not being sharp. yesterday, i scrubbed in on what the doc said was his worse thyroid tumor case - we will know more in 3 weeks after the path comes back. keeping my fingers crossed

the hospital

2008-02-14T01:34:00.005-05:00

i've been at the hospital for a few days now and each was a page out of an orthopedic textbook.

my first day…

spinal bifida
gunstock deformity
deformity from a proximal tibial greenstick fracture
neglected clubfoot
flexure contracture of the rectus femoris
subacute forearm compartment syndrome

That was just in the am

After a lunch break

It was on to small procedures
lots of flexure contractures of the rectus femoris
posenti methods
achilles lengthing

in my short time here, I have met so many dedicated doctors and nurses. volunteers from around the world and native cambodian doctors and nurses.

on day two we performed a distal humerus osteotomy for the correction of a gunstock deformity. the surgery went well – i would say smoother than back home. the only glitch was the saw and blade not matching but it was quickly fixed. the young boy did great and is now in post-op moving his fingers.

in the clinic we saw many children presenting with perthes disease, a disruption of the blood supply to the femoral head and fracture deformities that we will perform surgery on later this week..

more to come later….
unfortunately the internet is slow but fortunately i am busy with work and making friends. can’t wait to introduce you to the cambodian pavarotti, chloe, lauren, and the children of friendly house! i will also blog more about the hospital and surgeries.

cambodia

2008-02-10T09:04:00.001-05:00

siem reap...
it does not feel like over a year since i have been here - the hot sun, the arid landscape, the vivid reds & oranges that pepper the landscape.

just as i exit the terminal, i run into my old guide, kean. it’s good to see a familiar face.

kean grew up under the khmer rouge and tells the stories of his childhood like they happened yesterday. in a matter of fact way, he relates the story of his friend fishing with a found grenade and losing a limb because he did not let go of it fast enough. with all the hardships he has endured, kean doesn’t let the past haunt him. instead, he embraces it. this makes him a little crazy but an awesome guide – even though he almost killed me last year in a nighttime boating accident (not a good idea to be on a boat without running lights). i noticed he wasn’t wearing his yellow guide shirt, but wore a crisp blue pullover instead. he explains he has a new job
maybe he was just a little too crazy to be a guide.

after checking into the hotel, i was dying for lunch and knew just where to go - I b-lined it for Khmer Kitchen!!! this place rocks! i ordered the most delicious spicy chicken, eggplant, & veggie sour soup (tastes like tom yum soup but better) and a huge bottle of angkor beer. it did not disappoint!!!

move over pho, i have a new favorite broth!

To digest - a stroll through the market.
seam reap has a small central market that has clothing on the periphery, then veggie, fish, and meat stands in the center. it was busy with people shopping, getting haircuts, eating lunching and of course drinking beer to celebrating the chinese new year.

leaving..

2008-02-10T09:00:00.001-05:00

Tokyo daisuki!!!

2008-02-08T17:50:00.000-05:00

today started early . 4.30am . with a a trip to

tsukiji fish market

this market is one of the largest fish and seafood markets in the world. it is located in central tokyo and opens around 3.00am with the arrival of fresh fish.

after a midmorning rest. sahori and lavinia arrive:

we spent the day at the national art center tokyo and roppongi

sahori is a gifted potter who was kind enough to take me around tokyo
she showed us world class architecture
and took us to the best organic lunch spot
and for sweets & tea

http://yufuku.exblog.jp/i9/

thanks sahori!
next time i am in japan i will be visiting lavina in yokohoma!
lavina is another gifted artist you will meet her later

tokyo

2008-02-07T18:04:00.000-05:00

today, i explored tokyo with Masa

Masa is my good friend's (lolo - howbourgoise) friend. currently, he lives in tokyo, although, he does miss michigan. Masa took me around for a crazy day.

we started out in Asakusa, known for its temples. at the sensoji i picked my fortune and of course it was the unlucky one. after laughing it off, i tied it to a string to rid myself of it. Masa explained i was actually very lucky since it is very hard to pick that fortune.

yeah sure - masa.

next we went on to search for the otaku, people who obsessively love anime, often watching it with no sleep. at "tech town" -- success! there we found many otaku and experienced our first maid cafe! here girls dressed like anime maids and greet you with "welcome home, master" or "mo-eh"

http://www.cafe-athome.com/

after an interesting cup of coffee we moved on to lunch.

okonomi-yaki
flour batter+egg+cabbage+meat and griddle cooked with special sauce = delicious!

the afternoon was spent shopping, visiting more temples and drinking more coffee in Harajuku & Aoyama. this district reminded me of paris with its tree lined boulevard. the streets were filled with young japanese ready to spend money. here we wandered into the central park of tokyo and discovered the most beautiful and peaceful meiji shrine.

next dinner.

nothing beats beer and yakitori
ok i lied the the hamachi kama did!

dinner was awesome!!

- salmon sashimi - some kind of fish - hamachi kama - pork with tomatoes- yakitori -

yakitori, grilled bird, made from several bite-sized pieces of chicken meat skewered on a bamboo skewer and barbecued, usually over charcoal. often japanese eat this with beer.

the yakitori we ate:
nankotsu..chicken cartilage (the best)
kawa..chicken skin, grilled until crispy
tebasaki..chicken wing

other..all parts of the chicken mixed together

i got lost in translation

in the end it was a great day - thanks Masa!

i heart tokyo!

a friend in tokyo.

2008-02-06T04:14:00.000-05:00

lauren, guess who?

ok hint: MSU

update

2008-02-05T10:42:00.000-05:00

i am only a day into my travels but it has been a bumpy start. we arrive at dwt with time to spare. in typical fashion, checking the baggage was a huge ordeal. they lost our bag right at the counter! after taking a few seconds, we asked to the clerk to go to search the baggage area. he was reluctant but mentioning our volunteer work did the trick. with the four bags found we headed for security check for our 5.30 flight - no probs. at the gate we found out that the scheduled 1pm flight had just returned to the gate. next announcement 3pm flight to o'hare canceled. o'hare was fogged in with 16th of a mile visibility - hundreds of flights canceled:

http://www.nbc5.com/news/15212586/detail.html

lucky for us we had the right plane with the right pilot - an advanced navigational system and an experienced pilot.

stuck....

2008-02-04T17:09:00.000-05:00

i am sitting in the smith terminal blogging cause o'hare is fogged in.

amber this one is for you ....namaste....

1 day...

2008-02-03T21:19:00.000-05:00

as i watch the superbowl, i am reminded of what lies ahead....

5 days...

2008-01-30T20:09:00.000-05:00

fluttering silk ... a nepalese folk song

Resham phiriri, Resham phiriri,
Udera jaau ki daandaamaa bhanjyang Resham phiriri.

My heart is fluttering like silk in the wind
I cannot decide whether to fly or sit on the hill top

kodu charyo, makai charyo, dhan chareko china,
Na au kanchi, Pachi pachi, manpareko china.

Millet is planted, corn is planted, but not the rice
Don’t follow me little girl, because I don’t like you.

Resham phiriri, Resham phiriri,
Udera jaau ki daandaamaa bhanjyang Resham phiriri.

My heart is fluttering like silk in the wind
I cannot decide whether to fly or sit on the hill top

Kukuralaai kuti kuti biraalo laai suri
Timro haamro maayaa priti, dobato ma kuri

To the dog it’s puppy, puppy, to the cat it’s meow meow
Our love is waiting at the crossroads

Resham phiriri, Resham phiriri,
Udera jaau ki daandaamaa bhanjyang Resham phiriri.

My heart is fluttering like silk in the wind
I cannot decide whether to fly
or sit on the hill top

14 days....

2008-01-21T20:40:00.001-05:00

this past weekend i shipped supplies my office generously donated

20 days...

2008-01-15T19:43:00.000-05:00

..voted in the michigan primary..

21 Days....

2008-01-14T21:46:00.000-05:00

kite

21 days... my head is going to explode. i have not crossed off one thing on my to do list
but i did just talk to my friend lo:

she is one of the most beautiful people i know. i met her in high school, she was two years older than me but never minded a nerdy girl tagging along. she would drive me to school as a sophomore so i could be cool and not have to take the bus. she was with me the first week i got my license and hit my first car.

she took me to my first phish concert on top of a parking structure where we danced to lifeboy. my memory is fading but i think she took me to my first rave. after not seeing her all through college, we met again in San Francisco.

she has been in and out of my life but always in my heart.
love you.

27 days....Amavasya

2008-01-08T19:31:00.001-05:00

today is Amavasya. an auspicious day.

28 days

2008-01-07T21:18:00.000-05:00

28 days and counting...

dwt to chicago to tokyo to bangkok to siem reap to AHC...